1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chain conveying apparatus for spouts or bags with spouts.
2. Prior Art
The chain conveying apparatus disclosed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-305427 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2002-114367) includes a pair of annular chains mounted on sprockets of the same diameter.
The annular chains are disposed horizontally and parallel to each other in the same plane with a predetermined gap between these chains. In this chain conveying apparatus, numerous attachment plates (bridge-form rails) are attached to the respective chains in an outward facing orientation. When two chains are rotated at a constant speed in opposite directions, the attachment plates of the respective chains are respectively lined up in a concentrated manner in the respective directions of movement in the rectilinear portion, and the attachment plates of both chains face each other across a predetermined gap, so that an overall configuration resembling that of a pair of rails is adopted, and these rails move in one direction as the chains rotate.
When bags with spouts are introduced into this chain conveying apparatus, the axial portions of the spouts enter into the gap between the attachment plates on the left and right sides, and these left and right attachment plates enter into the gaps between the flanges of the spouts. As a result, the bags with spouts are conveyed in the direction of movement of the attachment plates with the left and right flanges of the spouts riding on the left and right attachment plates.
When the rotational speed of the chains of this chain conveying apparatus is increased, even if the bags with spouts are in a densely concentrated state on the rails that are lined up on the upstream side, these bags are conveyed in a state in which gaps are opened between the bags, and the bags are fed out toward the downstream side. In this case, this is convenient for counting the number of bags with spouts.
Meanwhile, when the bags with spouts are stopped at an intermediate point in the conveying process by a stopper, etc., such bags positioned further toward the rear gradually accumulate in a densely concentrated state. Accordingly, this apparatus can also be used as an accumulating apparatus of the type described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2001-48342. Furthermore, while the bags with spouts accumulate in a densely concentrated state, the flanges slide over the attachment plates.
Spouts that are currently used have the structure disclosed in, for example, the above-described Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-305427 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2001-353793. In such spouts, flanges are formed in three tiers. The upper surface sides of the upper flanges are reinforced, and ribs R which have a length that is more or less the same as the width of the flanges (width in the conveying direction) are formed on the left and right so as to face the conveying direction between the upper and middle flanges (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, the front and rear corner portions Ra and Rb of the ribs R are beveled. Meanwhile, in another type of spout that is currently used, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, there is no reinforcement of the upper flange, and no left or right ribs are present; and the thickness of the flanges is relatively small.
In cases where the spouts conveyed have the structure of three tiers with the reinforced upper flanges, and with ribs R, the spouts can be received from the rails on the upstream side, conveyed and fed out onto the rails on the downstream side with relatively little problem by the conveying apparatus.
However, in cases where the spouts conveyed have the structure with no reinforced upper flanges, with no left or right ribs, and with the small thickness flanges, as shown in FIG. 7, there are several problems. When the spouts are accumulated on the conveying apparatus, the flanges F of the preceding and following spouts S overlap with each other. Furthermore, when the conveying apparatus receives spouts from the rails on the upstream side or when the spouts are accumulated on the conveying apparatus, the corner portions 1a and 2a of the attachment plates 1 and 2 may catch the corners Xa of the axial portions X of the spouts S, and the orientation of the spouts S is disturbed. Also, since the flanges F are thin and there is no reinforcement, warping tends to occur in the flanges F, and this tendency is exacerbated by the fact that warping tends to occur in the attachment plates 1 and 2 (warping to a height of 1 mm is not unusual) when the attachment plates are fastened to the connecting pins of the chains.
Furthermore, in the case of spouts that have the structure of three tiers, the overlapping of the flanges F of the preceding and following spouts S with each other is prevented by the ribs Rxe2x96xa1 Moreover, since the front and rear corner portions Ra and Rb of the ribs R are beveled, these corner portions do not catch on the corner portions 1a and 2a of the attachment plates 1 and 2.
The present invention was devised in light of current situations in which there are different spouts that have various structures.
The object of the present invention is to provide a chain conveying apparatus that prevents the above-described problems in prior art apparatuses even in the case that spouts that would causes problems occurring in conventional chain conveying apparatuses are processed.
The present invention is for a chain conveying apparatus for spouts or bags that have spouts thereon. In other words, the apparatus of the present invention includes a pair of annular chains on which a plurality of attachment plates are provided so that the attachment plates are set in an outward facing orientation; and in this apparatus: the annular chains are installed side by side on the same plane with a predetermined gap in between; the annular chains are rotated in opposite directions from each other and at a same speed and are moved along adjacent parallel tracks over a predetermined range; the attachment plates of respective chains are lined up in respective directions of movement in such a predetermined range; and the attachment plates of both chains face each other across a predetermined gap for the length of the above-described predetermined range so that flanges of the spouts are carried on the attachment plates and conveyed.
In the unique structure employed by the present invention in such a chain conveying apparatus:
the attachment plates are attached to the respective chains so that the attachment plates have play in a vertical direction; and
along the above-described predetermined range:
left and right centering guide members are disposed at a height through which the axial portions of the spouts pass, the centering guide members regulating the movements of the spouts in the left and right direction,
upper-side guide members and lower-side guide members are disposed above and below the attachment plates of the respective chains so as to regulate the height position of the attachment plates, and
left and right flange regulating members are disposed so as to be above the flanges of the spouts, which is being conveyed, with a predetermined gap between the left and right flange regulating members and the flanges so as to regulate an upward movement of the spouts.
Thus, in the above-described chain conveying apparatus, the centering guide members regulate the movement of the spouts to the left and right (in other words, the centering guide members are disposed in close proximity to the axial portions of the spouts). Accordingly, the left and right gaps of the attachment plates can be wider than usual, and it is only sufficient to support only the left and right end portions of the flanges (in other words, it is not necessary to support the flanges to any great depth in the flanges (i.e., to points near the axes of the spouts)); and with such a structure, the flanges of the spouts will not slip off of the attachment plates.
In order to prevent the flanges of the spouts from overlapping with each other on the attachment plates, it is necessary to narrow the gap between the flanges and the flange regulating members that are disposed above the flanges, so that the flanges contact the flange regulating members when the spouts are moved upward, thus regulating the movement of the spouts. More specifically, it is necessary to set the gap between the flanges and the flange regulating members at a value that is less than one time the thickness of the flanges. Furthermore, the flanges that are regulated by the flange regulating members can be the same as the flanges that ride on the attachment plates or can be other flanges.
In the above-described chain conveying apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to have the structure as described below for instance. Namely, the attachment plates are held between the upper-side guide members and the lower-side guide members and slide between these guide members. In this case, the upper-side guide members are free to move upward and downward and are constantly driven downward so that the upper-side guide members contact the attachment plates. Furthermore, the upper side guide members and the flange regulating members are free to move upward and downward as an integral unit. If necessary, furthermore, relief grooves that allow room to accommodate even warped flanges can be formed in the upper surfaces of the attachment plates and/or the undersurfaces of the flange regulating members in the vicinity of the inside end portions of these elements.